The Brightst Flames
by Crimson Fairy Tale
Summary: A girl with a special ability has been deemed a desirable accessory because of the trait that makes her special. She's been on the run for years, living with scars of the past. Living the dark realm of fear and apprehension. Perhaps there is a flame bright enough to change that. Or maybe it'll be too wild to handle. Ace/OC Rated T, may or may not change later.
1. Chapter 1

_**This story is starting out pretty slow, sorry. This whole chapter is basically an intro, so...Hopefully it'll pick up later.**  
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_I'm being chased by fire. CHASED. By FIRE. I didn't know fire could consciously follow anybody—at least not without a path of dry grass or gasoline or something. These flames are just...there! There's nothing feeding them. They have a life of their own. It's like some sort of hellish specter that wants to catch me and burn me alive. So I run. I run and run, going any which way I can think of. Down alley ways, over rivers, through rocky passages, through a gate guarded by knights in black armor...Where the hell is this place? It's like whatever I think up just appears.  
_

_Oh, I get it now. I'm dreaming. That makes sense. I close my eyes, and with just a thought I can change my surroundings. I change it to something familiar. Not pleasant. But familiar. When I open my eyes, I'm in a room built from grey stone bricks. There was one metal door, the only passage to any other area. There were no windows. No decorations. No furniture. Just me.  
_

_And the fire that had a life of it's own. I see. The fire won't go away no matter how much I want it too. This must be one of _those_ dreams. A precognition dream. I turn to face the bright ball of heat warily. What's my subconscious trying to tell me this time? What do these flames have to do with the future? Is it the means of my death perhaps? That's not a pleasant thought...  
_

_Hesitantly, I reach toward the shifting flames that hovered in front of me. The fire seems to respond and draws closer to me. I brace myself for a world of searing pain to overcome me as the flames lick my skin. But it doesn't hurt. It feels warm. Inviting, almost...  
_

Huh? I blink at the cream colored wall in front of me. My thoughts are a blur as I try to sort through my confusion. The fire's gone. All that's left is a tingling sensation where it had touched me. I sigh and sit up in my bed, rubbing the sleep from my eyes for all the good it would do. I'm exhausted. Precognition dreams make it seem like I'm up all night even though I'm asleep when they happen. That's why I try not to call on this ability of mine. While it's sometimes helpful to have hints for the future, I'm not willing to sacrifice rest for that. However, once in a while my vague visions come unbidden. I've learned not to complain about them though. The precognitions that show up uninvited usually have something important to tell me. **  
**

I ponder over the contents of my dream as I get up and begin my regular morning routine. What could it mean? Fire usually just ate up whatever was in its path, leaving nothing but ashes and ruin behind. But this fire seemed...friendly, as weird as that sounds. I shake my head. There's no use in trying to figure it out right now. It was much too vague for me to gleam any useful information from it.

I pull on a pair of faded blue jeans, avoiding the full body mirror in the room. A tight white tee-shirt was enough to cover the scars that I didn't want to look at. The well worn pair of sneakers in my possession was the final touch to the plain outfit. I finally face my reflection, icy blue eyes giving myself a once-over. I grab a brush to sort out the tangled mess of golden-brown hair on my head. When the shoulder-length locks are neat enough to be considered decent, I grab the few belongings I have and pack them away into a small backpack.

I've been staying at this hotel for way too long. It's time to bounce before the marines figure out I'm here. I bolt down the stairs and toss the beri I owe on the counter. The innkeeper begins to stay something along the lines of _"Thanks, come again soon!" _but I ignore him and head out the door. I duck into the crowd on the streets casually, blending in fairly easily among both the locals and the pirates that swarmed the shops. Sabaody Archipelago is a hot spot for pirate activity, even though a marine base was located nearby. Either the government didn't know about all the shady stuff that went on, or they just couldn't be bothered with dispatching some man-power to arrest all the low lives around here.

In any case, I'd rather not stick around in one place for too long. The thing is, I'm on a "higher priority" list than some of wanted criminals around me. I glance to a billboard in front of a shop; one filled with wanted posters. Sure enough, an all too familiar one was located near the center where everyone could see it.

_WANTED ALIVE:_

_WINSLOW D. SAFIYA_

_The picture was a of a young girl, about twelve years old. She had long, golden-brown hair that was curled and tied into pigtails. She wore a red Victorian dress and sat on a lavish armchair next to a grand fireplace. She stared straight at the camera that had taken her picture, a small, unhappy frown adorning her features. _

Below the picture was the emblem of the mark of the World Nobles. The mark of the Celestial Dragons. There wasn't an amount printed on the poster, but the emblem itself was enough to promise riches. _  
_

I shudder and keep moving. I've cut my hair since the time that poster appeared. I've taken to hiding in plain sight, dressing like a commoner and hanging around in places no one would expect the daughter of a wealthy family to be. So far, it's worked. Sort of. I get caught up in all sorts of shady activities, but I'd gladly take that over being handed over to those World Nobles. Been there, done that. _Never again._

When no one's looking, I down an alley and head towards the ocean. I stay close enough to the town so that it'll be a quick trip back, but I go far enough away that no one would find me easily if they tried to look. Honestly, I just want to see if I can actually get any real sleep. Hopefully no precognitions will rear their ugly heads while I'm trying to catch a morning nap.

I pull a towel out of my backpack when I find a suitable place to sleep and lay it out on the ground. Despite the years I've been "roughing it", I still absolutely refuse to sleep directly on the dirt. I try not to seem like I was raised with money, but old habits die hard. I use my bag as a pillow as I make myself comfortable, and lucky for me my brain is completely willing to shut down and let me rest.

_However, it was because of this dead sleep that I didn't notice the arrival of was quite possibly the biggest ship I'd ever seen, or it would have been had I been awake to see it._


	2. Chapter 2

A loud crash startles me into a sitting position. My gaze wanders in all directions as my sleepy mind works to make sense of my surroundings. Just as I remember my choice to nap out in the open, I start to hear clipped commands coming from the other side of the giant mangrove root next to me. I duck back down behind the natural wall, heart racing. Did someone figure out I'm here? Moments pass by slowly and I start to relax. No hurried footsteps coming in my direction. I hadn't been seen. But what's with all the noise then?

I lift my head higher to peer over the edge of my hiding place. I freeze immediately. There must be at least thirty pirates bustling to and fro not twenty feet from me! I locate the source of the crash that woke me up. There was a broken box lying on the ground with broken bottles mixed in among the splintered wood. I can see a guy wearing a green, sixteenth century style shirt speaking to a guilty looking fellow. Or is that guy a girl? I can't tell. Well, whatever. It looks like he/she is reprimanding the other guy for dropping their cargo.

I'm guessing these pirates stopped by to restock their supplies or something. Whatever the case, I want _no_ part of it. I don't know how long they've been here, but I sure as hell don't want to push my luck. Who knows what they would do if they discovered me? They could kill me. Or they might use me. I would take that over having them recognize me. I don't know what I'd do if they turned me in for a profit... However that's not incentive to stick around.

I snatch up my backpack and the towel I slept on. Time for a sneaky getaway! I creep along the side of the mangrove tree, staying low and hopefully out of sight. However it seems I'm not as good at sneaking about as I thought I was.

"Hello?"

I stop in my tracks and stare at the person I nearly bumped into with wide eyes. It was definitely a man, however he was dressing a geisha's clothing. How strange...Not that there's anything wrong with crossdressers! It's just...not a very common practice. I slowly straighten myself out, standing at my full height instead of crouched low.

The man quirks an eyebrow at me, probably because he didn't get a response. "Is there a reason why you're poking around here?"

"Er, I'm not. I was actually napping nearby, and...you guys woke me up. I was just leaving." I reply. It sounds really stupid when I say it out loud. It sounds like some bad excuse.

"Napping." The pirate looked dubious. I wouldn't believe me either, buddy.

"Yes."

"You know there's probably a hotel in the town nearby, right?"

"I'm well aware of that."

"Uh-huh..." I successfully resist the urge to squirm under the stranger's scrutiny. "What's your name, girl?"

"It's rude to ask someone's before introducing yourself." I say before I can stop to think. I stiffen and berate myself in my head. I have to stop letting my lessons in proper etiquette rule everything I say. Commoners didn't take notice of such trivial things like that.

"I'm Izo." The geisha man replies. I can see that he's only humoring me. "Now, who are you?"

"...Fayasi." I answer. I pray that he didn't notice the brief hesitation. I know that's not my real name. But it's made up of the same letters, if it counts for anything.

"Well, _Fayasi_..." The pirate gave me a once-over. "Sorry to keep you. You said you were leaving, right?"

"That I did." I reply. I dip my head in a polite nod. "Have a nice day." I step past him and began a brisk walk toward the town I left earlier. However, as I walk away I can't help but feel a nagging sensation. Like there was something I should know, or that something should be familiar. It wasn't a sense of deja-vu or anything. It was more like there was something here I already knew, but the information refused to come to the front of my mind. It was that bothersome _tip-of-my-tongue_ feeling.

I shake my head and try to put it out of my mind. I should just count my blessings that those pirates weren't the bloodthirsty kind. I'm not about to take advantage of that and go snooping in their business.

I make it back to the town full of civilians and pirates in one piece. I don't know how long my nap was, but I'm assuming it's about midday. In other words it's lunch time. I check my pockets and take note of how much money I have left. I'm running kind of low. I'll have to work a few jobs soon. But that's a problem for a later date. For now I spend my time looking for a restaurant. It was pretty easy to find one, since this was hot spot for crowds. I head inside and find a quiet place to sit.

I look over the menu for a little while as I get comfortable, and I end up ordering something that looks good but that's also cheap enough for my budget along with a glass of water. It's not a five star meal by any means, but it's good enough to satisfy me.

I eat in relative peace until I hear one of the waiters shout, "Hey, get back here and pay for you meal! Thief!" I look towards the entrance in time to see the waiter bolt outside in pursuit of whoever skipped out on paying. This incident of dine and dashing isn't my problem, so I turn my attention back to my own meal.

I finish up and pay what I owe, and then head out the door. I slip into the crowd that swarmed the shops nearby, and start planning my next move. However, just as I begin trying to decide what section of Sabaody I should head to next, I spot something that makes my blood freeze. I swear under my breath and duck into an alley. I take up a brisk pace as I make my way toward the other side of the town.

Back there, near the entrance to the inn I stayed in last night, I saw three men dressed in black talking to the innkeeper. On the backs of their clothes, the Celestial Dragons' crest was printed in plain sight. It was_ them_. _The Collectors_. They're a group of thugs who's sole task is to retrieve the World Noble's property when it "goes missing." It doesn't take much thought to guess what they're searching for. There was a certain _item_ that never made it to the hands of the Nobles six years ago, and they've been looking for it ever since.

I try not to look like I'm in a hurry. If I start running as though my life depended on it, I would draw unwanted attention to myself. So I had to stay calm and act natural. However, things just don't seem to be going my way today.

"See, I told you I saw her!"

I glance over my shoulder only to see that my worst fear had been realized. Screw acting natural. It's time to run like a madwoman. I take off at a full sprint, deftly avoiding the commoners in the street. For six long years I've evaded the World Nobles' lapdogs. They've never gotten this close before. Has my luck finally run out? No! I refuse to let them have their way! I'm not some object that can be bought and sold!

I accidentally bump shoulders with someone as I round a corner, causing me to stumble slightly but I manage to catch myself. "Sorry! I'm sorry!" I shout without stopping. Something tells me I should've recognized that man I bumped into, but my panic-stricken mind couldn't process appearances at the moment. I'm too focused on my escape.

Unfortunately, the next corner I turn brings with it an unpleasant surprise. I run straight into a human wall, which turns out to be one of the Collectors. I stumble backward, but the iron grip on my wrists keeps me from falling. It also keeps me from getting away.

"Well, lookie here. It took forever, but I guess you finally reached the end of the road, Lady Safiya." My captor stated.

"Let go of me!" I shout and try to pull away from him. This can't be the end!

"And spend another six years lookin' for you? No thanks. It's a miracle that the Celestial Dragons have been as patient as they were all this time." The man replied. "You know, I'm pretty impressed that a pampered brat like you has lasted so long on her own."

I still at the mention of those retched Nobles, and then continue my struggles with a renewed vigor. "Release me you brute!" I demand. I kick my legs and try to yank my arms away in a vain attempt to escape. However, the arrival of the other two Collectors stemmed any hope I had of finding a way out of here.

"Settle down, Lady Safiya!" my captor barked. "You'll only make things harder on yourself! I said settle down!" He released one of my wrists to raise his hand. I've taken the back of a fist to my head before, but never hard enough to knock me out. I guess there's a first time for everything.

I remember falling, but I fell unconscious before I hit the ground.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hello and welcome to the third chapter of The Brightest Flames! I would just like to thank those of you who took the time to leave comments. I really appreciate it, and I enjoy seeing the feedback! And even if you haven't left any comments, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read this so far. Now, without further adieu, on with the story!  
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_ I'm sitting in my stone brick room, hugging my knees as I call forth a precognition dream. I figure that I might as well look into my future, seeing as how I'm unconscious and all. I would definitely like to know what's in store for me now that those goons have captured me. I sigh and close my eyes. The contents of these dreams are never exactly what I hope for, but I can try to narrow down the possibilities into the general range of what I want to know. In my head I begrudgingly picture the crest of the World Nobles, and when I open my eyes I see it painted on the wall. I keep my eyes on the picture. "What's going to happen?" I ask my subconscious. I hope it gets the hint and gives me something having to do with my current predicament. __  
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_I'm not expecting a straight answer. The answers are always like riddles, only they're more like pictures instead of words. I fear my mind might show me a cage or some shackles. However, I don't see either of those things. Instead, I get something completely different. The friendly, fiery specter from my last precognition dream bursts into the room through the only available door. Does it have to do with the World Nobles, or did my subconscious simply ignore my request for the information I desire?  
_

_"What are you?" I ask. The flames don't reply. They simply move to make a sort of half circle between me and the crest on the wall. Does that mean someone or something will save me? But what does fire have to do with it? I reach toward the flames, and watch them dance against my fingertips. "Throw me a bone, won't you? I need something more. An object, or picture or change of scenery or something." I say.  
_

_Surprisingly I actually get what I ask for, for once. The fire moves out of the way, and I notice a different symbol had taken the place of the Celestial Dragons' crest. It was blue cross with what looked like a crescent moon that curved upward. The bells of recognition sounded in my brain. I've seen that symbol somewhere, I know it!  
_

I suddenly find myself in the waking world after discovering my new clue. I pry my eyes open, groaning at the uncomfortable position I'm in. After my disorientation fades, I realize I'm being carried like a sack of potatoes. I'm slung over someone's shoulder, and judging by the mark on the back of his clothes, I think it's safe to assume it's a Collector. My limbs are heavy due to being unconscious, and it takes a few moments to get myself prepared to start struggling.

By the time I ready to begin kicking and yelling, I finally notice that we haven't been moving. The Collectors are arguing with somebody for some reason.

"—not inclined to do anything you say." The tone sounded casual. Bored even.

"Look, you pirate scum, we've got somewhere important to be. Now get out of the way!"

I don't really care about the little spat going on. I just want to get out of here. I start squirming and pounding my captor's back. The only thing I get in response a snort of annoyance. Right now I kinda wish I that I had been raised for combat instead of a life of leisure. That would have helped me tons. Unfortunately, no one can pick their parents. "Now look, you've kept us so long, the brat woke up."

"Let go of me, you buffoon!" I shout. My fists beat against his back relentlessly, despite the fact that it seemed to have no effect whatsoever.

"Easy there, Miss Winslow. I've hit you once already. Don't think I won't do it again!"

"You're a brute! I shouldn't be treated like this!" No matter how much I try to worm my way off of the Collector's shoulder, he keeps me firmly in place. "Release me this instant!" I manage to maneuver my body into a position where I can slam my elbow into the back of the man's head.

His hold on me falters enough to drop me to the ground. "Damn it!" Before I can put any distance between him and myself, I feel fingers wrap around my neck. "You've done it now, you spoiled little brat!"

I hear one of the other Collector's speak as my airflow was suddenly cut off. "Hey, it'll be bad for us if we deliver damaged goods!" I choke and grasp at the hands around my neck blindly, trying to pry them loose.

"Don't worry! A few bruises won't matter! It's not like she'll be any less valuable!"

The edges of of my vision start to turn black as the strength leaves my body. My limbs fall limp as my consciousness fades for the second time today. However, just before my eyes close, I see a blinding orange and yellow light take up the remainder of my sight. Then all I see is blackness.

_The darkness only lasts a few seconds though. Once again I find myself in my usual stone room. I don't like it_ normally_, but today especially I'm getting kind of sick of it. I could always let myself have a regular, non riddle-like dream, but unlike most people, questions pester me even after I've reached the deepest parts of my subconscious. In no time my dreams would circle around the blue cross-like symbol I discovered earlier. Well, I may as well take advantage of being choked into unconsciousness.  
_

_The wonderful thing about lucid dreams like mine is that I can do anything I want. Something tells me I saw the cross sometime today, so I change the scenery. I find myself standing somewhere in Sabaody—in the town that I'm in at the moment, actually. Now...Where have I seen that blue symbol before? I look around at the fuzzy, faceless forms around me. Their people, but since I don't remember what any of them look like, they don't have any distinguishing characteristics.  
_

_It only takes me seconds to locate the blue symbol among the frozen crowd. I walk toward it and notice that it's someone's chest. I look up at him, and then look around once again. I spot a black figure nearby, and I realize that this is the guy I had run into while trying to get away from those goons. I look back at the man bearing the symbol, but like all the other faceless phantom people in the area, I couldn't find any other notable characteristics other than the mark. However, for some reason I know that I've seen him somewhere before. Not in person, I don't think. A wanted poster? Is he some wanted pirate? I wish I could summon up a stack of wanted posters to sort through, but my mind isn't a filing cabinet. My memory only goes so far.  
_

_I start trying to figure it out anyway. I think up different facial features and hair styles, trying to see if I can find a combination that seems realistic. However, my work get's cut short. My grasp on my dream world is starting to weaken, and I can hear a muffled voice attempting to get my attention.  
_

_"No! I'm so close to figuring this out!"  
_

_But the calling doesn't cease. My dreamland fades to black, and I find myself returning to the conscious world to face whomever is trying to wake me up.  
_

I blink my eyes awake and let the world come into focus. When it does, my eyes go wide. In front of me, I see the geisha man from earlier staring back at me. "Well, she's okay." he stated before rising to stand at his full height. I realize I'm sitting propped up against a wall. "You know, I think I can believe you slept by a tree if you were hiding from those bastards." he said._  
_

"Um..."

"So why are they after you anyway?"

I've barely had any time to think and he's already asking questions. "Wait..." my voice comes out slightly hoarse, probably from nearly having my throat crushed. "You...You saved me? Why?" I ask warily.

"I didn't. They did." Izo tilted his head toward the two fellows who loitered nearby. I look over and see a boy not much older than me sitting on a crate. He was wearing a bright orange cowboy hat and loose shorts, with no shirt. The other leaned up against the wall, and wore a purple jacket that was open to reveal the _blue mark from my dream_. It takes me a moment for things to sink in and click into place. I recognize just who I'm looking at.

What in the world does this mean for me?


End file.
